A Reunion on Taris
by MaverickJediSabyne
Summary: Torian had come to Taris to reclaim his family's honor. While he searches for a way to do so, he learns that the Hunter Gammon, Champion of the Great Hunt, has also come to Taris. Unsure of the mysterious hunter's motives, he attempts to lay a trap, only to find that what he thought he knew about this hunter was about to be challenged.
1. Chapter 1

Torian carefully adjusted the focus on his binocs, a frown slowly crossing his face as he made out the two figures who were leaving the Republic settlement. While he had only seen them a couple times, those times had made the pair quite memorable to him. The Devaronian was recognizable in an instant, mostly due to the fact that there were next to no Devaronians wandering the galaxy with only one horn. This one seemed to be chatting with the figure next to him as they approached the excavation site.

_That_ figure was the one that grabbed Torian's attention. It was Gammon, a bounty hunter who had somehow risen from relatively unknown gun-for-hire to Grand Champion of the Great Hunt. Gammon was a bit of a mystery, no one knew his true identity. When he was talked about in the cantinas, the attention was on his armor, face-obscuring helmet, and oddly metallic voice. There may have been pockets of speculation about who he was and where he came from, but interest in those topics waned with the lack of clear-cut answers.

But what was Gammon doing on Taris? Torian pondered this as he set his binocs aside. Did Mandalore doubt his loyalty? Did his leader think he would turn his back on his adopted clan to join Jicoln? Torian did have a knack for making himself scarce; maybe Mandalore sent his champion and newly adopted clan member to track him down.

"Only one way to find out," he said to himself. He cast a glance at the sniper rifle sitting next to him, then silently put it away. Sniping at the pair would accomplish nothing, and might even give his hiding spot away if the rounds could be traced back to it visually. No, his best option was to go in at close range with a blaster and hope they weren't there to take him out.

Quickly, he packed away his meager supplies before slipping inside the giant doorway leading to the excavation site. As long as he remained quiet and in the shadows, the two intruders wouldn't know he was there until he was practically on top of them. Only then could he find out what was really going on.

He found his way to the main room of the site. Quickly scanning all corners of the room, he discovered the one with the most shadow was just inside and to the right of the doorway, amidst a pile of old excavation scaffolding left behind by the Republic.

He crouched in his hiding place, blaster pistol at the ready. If he really was the target, he wasn't about to go down without a fight.

It was quiet. Way too quiet for Ky's tastes.

From what the Republic captain had told her, this excavation site had been abandoned for a while. While she couldn't pinpoint exactly how long it had been deserted, the condition of the walls and door panels confirmed it to be more than a few months. Still, something wasn't right, a feeling that bothered her as they walked through the facility.

Gault spoke up. "It's too quiet here," he said, perfectly echoing her thoughts. "A site abandoned for as long as this one has been should be full of life. This feels more like a tomb."

Ky nodded. "It doesn't feel right to me, either," she replied, shivering at the cold metallic voice her helmet lent her. In a place like this, that metallic rasp seemed especially creepy. "If this place has been empty for as long as that Republic stooge implied, it would be the perfect nesting site for beasts. Asides from the rust on the walls, this place is clean. No beasts, no traps...nothing. Something is keeping this place clean. Or..._someone_."

They entered the facility's final room, still not seeing any signs of life. Ky gritted her teeth, glad her frustration was masked by her helmet. "Damn it. Dead end." She approached the computers in the center of the room, Gault following closely behind. "We have to have missed something. Let's retrace our steps and look for clues."

Gault hesitated. "I don't like..." he began. His statement was cut off by the sound of a blaster being drawn. He turned to see Torian approach Ky, blaster in hand. The kid wore a smirk, clearly satisfied at his deception.

"Yep, yep...definitely don't like this," Gault finished his thought. If it weren't for the blaster the kid was pointing at Ky, he would draw his own weapon and open fire. To her credit, Ky stood silently, her back to the young Mandalorian, not saying a word or moving an inch.

_She has to know he's standing there with a blaster pointed at the back of her head._ Gault thought to himself. _ What's she waiting for?_

Torian couldn't believe his luck. He had been bracing himself for a fight, for some kind of heavy resistance from this famed bounty hunter. He had been hearing stories of Gammon's exploits in the Great Hunt, culminating in their face-to-face meeting at the camp on Dromund Kaas. If the stories were to be believed, this was truly a ruthless hunter who was not to be crossed.

He was admittedly shocked at how wide-open the hunter left himself. If it had been him, he would have kept his eyes up and scanning every corner of the room. He would have walked the room's perimeter until he was satisfied there were no hidden threats. Yet this hunter and his companion strode right into the center of the room; had there been anyone else hidden in the shadows, they would have been easy targets.

As he stood with the gun pointed at the back of the hunter's helmet, he had the vague feeling that something wasn't right. This felt...too easy, like he was being set up. Gammon might not be a Mandalorian by birth, but he wasn't stupid. Being a stupid bounty hunter was a fast path to getting one's self killed. From an outsider's perspective, this was easily the stupidest, sloppiest mistake anyone could make, and Gammon had to know that.

_So what was going on?_

He had to know. "Thought you'd be harder to get the drop on," he said, smirking slightly. Setup or no, there was still something satisfying about this whole scenario.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Thought you'd be harder to get the drop on."_

Ky was grateful for her helmet at that moment, it hid the smile that formed on her lips when she heard that statement. She kept her body still, letting her mind clear so she could think of the best solution to this situation. She knew she would have reacted the same way if she were in his boots, afraid someone was coming after her and all. She could also tell he would be a valuable addition to their team; he seemed like the type who could more than hold his own in a fight. This would prove challenging. She didn't want to anger him and provoke a fight, thus more...delicate relations were needed.

She owed a great deal to her grandfather. A retired bounty hunter himself, he had taught her everything she knew about being a bounty hunter, from aiming and shooting a blaster to using her wits to escape just about any scrape. The one thing he had not taught her, however, was how to turn the tables on an attractive young man who was aiming a blaster at the back of her head. For that answer, she turned to the one source of advice she had always been reluctant to utilize.

Her mother.

Her mother had never approved of her training to be a bounty hunter, she had merely tolerated it. She thought it was a phase her only daughter was going through, so she worked tirelessly to mold her into prime marriage material as well. Ky's knowledge of music and dance, of art, and of language all stemmed from those lessons, as did her admittedly limited knowledge of interacting with men on a personal level.

"_Remember, Kybrina dear,_" she had told her once before meeting with a potential suitor, "_Men can be absolute fools when faced with a beautiful woman. Even the hardest, most stoic man can be reduced to eating out of your hand when he hears flattering words. Pair those words with a slight pout of the lips and a few bats of the eyelashes, and he'll be practically worshiping the ground you walk upon._"

Normally, she would refrain from using such advice. Most men she interacted with were duller than a sleeping bantha, and she saw little need to waste breath and energy trying to flirt with them unless they had something she wanted. This kid was different. He was sharp, a damned good shot...everything she liked in a man. The fact he was easy on the eyes was a bonus.

_You're a cute one, Torian. I'm going to have a little fun with you._

"You know, you're right," she said, her back still to him, "Normally it's much harder to get the drop on me than this. But I just couldn't help myself." She turned to face him, noted the confused expression on his face. "But I was just so eager to see you again after Dromund Kaas that I guess I acted without thinking."

"You what...?" She smiled, knowing she had him right where she wanted him. Reaching up behind her left ear, she turned off the voice changer she was using, the switch making a soft 'click' as it was deactivated.

"You heard me loud and clear," she said, noting the slight widening of his eyes as he heard her real voice for the first time. "I shouldn't need to repeat myself. But this time, I guess I'll humor you." She took that moment to remove her helmet, exposing her face to him, and his face betrayed his shock. "I was just so eager to see you again after Dromund Kaas," she repeated. For added emphasis, she batted her eyelashes in a way she hoped was flirtatious.

Stunned silence was his reply to her. _Perfect._ She thought to herself. _I have him on the ropes now._

Torian felt as though someone had shot him with a stun bolt. He couldn't move, could hardly breathe, could barely even _think_, he was so shocked. Suddenly, what he thought was so straightforward turned out not to be.

"_But I was just so eager to see you again after Dromund Kaas that I guess I acted without thinking._" When he heard that, filtered as is was, he was confused. That didn't sound like something a hunter would say to someone pointing a blaster at him.

"You what...?" He tried to ask more questions, demand more answers. All he could muster were two words.

He watched silently as the hunter reached up to the side of his helmet. When 'Gammon' spoke again, it was no longer with the grating, metallic voice he always used. Instead, it was a female voice, slightly muffled by the helmet. Then the helmet was gone, slowly removed by its wearer, and Torian found himself locking gazes with the bluest eyes he had ever seen.

_Mesh'la..._

His arm dropped like it weighed a ton, the blaster dangling in his grip. His mind was jumbled, thoughts incoherent in his confusion. _Gammon, famed bounty hunter and champion of the Great Hunt...is a woman?_ He asked himself. His gaze scanned her features, noted her red hair, the freckles across her cheeks, the trio of scars on the side of her face, the metal hardware in her left jaw...

_Yes, Gammon is a woman. One not much older than me. Did I miss something?_

Looking back, he would later curse himself for a full five minutes in Mando'a about letting his guard down and leaving himself exposed. She moved quicker than anyone he had expected, and the feeling of his blaster arm being seized snapped him out of his stunned state. The world around him inverted itself for a few seconds, followed by the abrupt impact of his armored back into the floor. He lay there for several seconds, struggling to catch his breath; as he recovered his senses he felt a heavily armored boot press onto his chest, impeding any further movement he might try to make.

"Men," he heard her mutter as she pointed one of her blasters at his face. "Always fools for flattering words and a pretty face. Time to tell me what you're doing out here."

He took several more deep breaths, ignoring the dull ache in his back. He tried to apologize, to say anything, but a slightly-strained "Ow. I deserved that," was all he could say. And in his mind, he did. Sneaking up on her was easily the worst idea he had ever come up with. Based on how easily she had disarmed him, she could have easily killed him had she decided to.

He watched her face, noticed a smile form on her lips. She took her boot off his chest, allowing him to stand, though he noted her blaster was still held in her hand. After taking a moment to gather his bearings, he stood up.

"You must _like_ him," her Devaronian companion said to her. "If I tried that, I'd be wearing my face on the back wall."


	3. Chapter 3

It seemed as soon as they had arrived, the hunter and her companion were leaving. Torian, knowing their destination would be thick with Rakghouls, had a plan already in place to deal with them. Quickly, he laid out the items he would need the duo to collect, and he could tell from her face that she wasn't too keen on what he was sending her after.

Not that he blamed her, by any stretch. Trudging through the toxic wastes of Taris in search of Rakghoul filth and fluids was bad enough, but also having to find and carry the corpse of one of those monsters just made things even worse. Had he known he was going to have help tracking Jicoln, he would have already had some of this concoction mixed and ready for action. It was a bit late for that now, and he silently thanked her for not making a huge fuss about the task. The disgusted wrinkle of her nose had been all the hint he had that she found this distasteful. Quite the trooper, he thought.

With an attitude like that, he could see how 'Gammon' had gotten to her place as Champion. In the time since he had first seen her on Dromund Kaas, he had taken the time to look up the hunter on the Holonet. He found precious little about this particular hunter, mostly bits and pieces about being a small-time gun-for-hire, then a few snippets of jobs and exploits. None of it mentioned her being a young woman; it seemed she had kept that secret very safe. He had found information about a retired hunter by the same name, whose armor in old Holos was nearly-identical to what she wore. He wondered if there was a connection, thought of asking her when they had free time.

_If_ they had free time, he corrected himself. First thing was first, they had to take out Jicoln.

A thought suddenly occurred to him. "You know," he thought aloud to himself. "Never did ask her real name. Not that she would likely give it to me..."

He trailed off as a faint metallic glint from the floor caught his attention. Kneeling down, he picked up what appeared to be a metal identification tag. He hadn't spotted anything like this when he had entered, so he surmised it must have been hers. Likely fallen from a pouch or chain when she had disarmed him, and it was light enough that it wouldn't be missed for some time.

He turned it over in his fingers, squinting in the dim light to make out the lettering. Written on it was a name and a planet. Clearly, someone -likely the young woman in question- had tampered with it; heavy scratches all but obliterated the surname on the tag. Still, he could make out the letters making up the first name, as well as the planet name.

_Kybrina. Deralia._

"So, 'Gammon'. Real name's 'Kybrina', huh?" he muttered. He quickly slipped the tag into a pouch on his belt before exiting the facility himself. He had to finish packing his campsite, then carefully make his way to the transit station he directed the pair to meet him at, all the while making sure he didn't make a meal for a pack of Rakghouls.

As he reached the camp and began his packing, he caught himself whistling a random tune. That was unusual for him, and he attributed his mood to having help taking down Jicoln. Deep down, however, he knew it was more than that. He knew it was being paired with a lovely, strong fighter like her, with whom he felt he could do just about anything.

_Think things just got much more interesting._ He thought to himself. _Let's see where this goes._

As he waited for their arrival, he first heard them. Then smelled them. Then saw them.

He heard the disgust she showed after every battle with the Rakghouls. Not that he blamed her, Rakghouls were pretty disgusting creatures. After a few short skirmishes, she and her companion had arrived at their meeting spot. She was wearing her helmet again, but he didn't need to see her face to know her feelings at that moment. He was just glad she needed him; judging by how she was flexing her hands, he figured a small part of her was itching to strangle him.

"Smelled you coming," he quipped. His joke was answered with a smack to the shoulder of his armor, which made a dull thud.

"Next time, _you're_ the one digging through sewage," she replied acidly, dumping the pungent bag on the ground at his feet. He noted her voice was normal, no disguise on it this time.

"You know Botany, Kybrina? Didn't think so," he countered, gingerly picking up the bag. "I got the rest of what we needed, so this shouldn't take long."

"It better...wait. How did you know my name?" she asked. "I don't remember ever telling you any sort of name beyond 'Gammon'."

He shrugged, reaching into the belt pouch and pulling out the tag. "Think you lost this," he replied. Judging by her body language, he figured she was blushing. "Might want to watch that next time you disarm someone."

She quickly snatched the tag out of his hand, likely to cover her embarrassment. "Thank you for returning this," she said, affixing it back around her neck. "Now, let's get on with this."

"Fine by me. Should just take a moment," Torian tried to hide his amusement at her reaction. So the cold, unflappable 'Gammon' had a soft side after all. Just know her real name, and one could easily fluster her.

"It's not funny, kid," she snapped, still seeming embarrassed.

"Didn't say it was," he retorted, turning his back to hide his grin.

He worked quickly on the mixture that would allow them a chance to sneak through the tunnel amongst the Rakghouls. It wasn't a complicated formula, and he was finished before too long. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw Kybrina had removed her helmet -likely to allow herself fresh air while she waited- and he noted her cheeks still seemed slightly red from her embarrassment.

"All done. Smear it on thick." he said.

She seemed hesitant. "What does it do, asides from smell like death?" she asked.

"Should allow us to calm the Rakghouls -maybe even put a few to sleep- so we can slip by relatively undetected." She nodded, satisfied with his answer, and he watched her begin to spread the mixture on her armor.

"Oh, no," her Devaronian companion protested. "I am not getting that...this is my best shirt!"

"Nice knowing you," Torian replied, keeping a completely straight face. Almost instantly, Kybrina brought her clean hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh. He caught her eye, and gave her a small smile, which made her blush a bit and refocus on her armor.

"Wait, wait. Just...just do it," the Devaronian finally said. As he spread the mixture on his armor, he let out a disgusted groan. "Now I'm gonna have to burn these."

Torian watched Kybrina roll her eyes. "That's what you get for wearing your finery to a fight, isn't it Gault?" she asked him, then turned her focus to him "Kid, I need a favor from you," she said.

"What's that?"

"Keep my real name on the down-low. I have...reasons for not using it. I'd prefer not letting it get around."

He nodded. "Sure thing. Won't be a problem."


End file.
